Puerto Rico To Get Chapter 9?

Long overdue, in my opinion, HR 5305 has been introducted by Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi.  The one-sentence law would allow the territory of Puerto Rico to join the definition of "State" and hence provide access to chapter 9 for its municipal and other entities.  (And no, the territory itself can't file chapter 9, so don't get your hopes up for that solution to its finances.)

It seems archaic and patronizing not to let the people of Puerto Rico authorize (or forbid) their public entities from using chapter 9.  In terms of the policy decisions involved -- some states refuse their entities to access chapter 9 -- it strikes me at least as eminently more sensible to let the government of that territory make that call rather than Congress.  Here's hoping to swift passage on what should be a non-contentious error correction in the Code.